Events
by IronDBZ
Summary: A story that begins in Trunk's timeline and takes us down a different road than the original story; offering insight into the more personal and realistic feelings of the characters.


_Krillin: Gohan, can you talk?_  
Gohan: Krillin? Yeah, I can talk, my mom's not really…..  
_Krillin: I know, and __**you**__ know that Master Roshi wouldn't mind if you needed to stay with him.  
_Gohan: Krillin, if I leave she'll be even worse, I can't do that to her.  
_Krillin: You do what you want to do, that's all I'm going to say. Wait a second…Gohan, turn on your TV.  
_Gohan: What am I looking for?  
_Krillin: Just look through all the news channels, you'll find it. I need to get over there, call Yamcha and Piccolo's probably already on his way there.  
_Gohan: I'll meet you there.  
_Krillin: No, I don't know what's going on. If you come you might get hurt, I couldn't let that happen.  
_Gohan: ….

And that's when Gohan hung up, he hadn't the nerve to tell Krillin no. He could have with no repercussions, but he had enough respect for him to leave a more ambiguous answer. After this charged conversation he searched his entire house, ignoring his mother and she doing the same, for his training garb. Once it was found he set out for the General area of the attack, South City. Once there the boy didn't know what to make of it, it was if there was no warning for what had happened, just a silence; not a voice to be heard, a cry for help to be heeded, not even the sounds of battle that he had come to expect instead all he heard was nothing.  
And straight ahead he saw three figures, partially hidden in unsettled debris. One short, with what appeared to be a bald head. Farther down were two other figures mostly silhouettes against a lightly churning background of smoke, flame and dust. The two figures were walking, not running as one would expect to be in such a situation, this peculiar behavior was already recalled upon by Gohan. It was too distinct to be forgotten, it was the same walk all those who had carried out evil upon him had sported. The two seemed to stop, either to revel in the results of their work or to recognize the bald man before them. At that moment the man rushed at the figures, moving at speeds unfathomable to the human eye, moving in with a kick that created such force that all debris rushed out of the area before it even connected. This display would have impressive to someone of low power, but to Gohan and apparently the figures as well this was nothing to even think about because all four of them were capable of so much more.  
As distraught and confused as Gohan was his mind was not without rational thought and what was at the forefront of his mind was not who these people (if he could even call them that) were, but where were the others? Upon realizing they were nowhere in sight he immediately dashed at the untaken figure, hitting her with more force than the one Krillin had pulled off only moments ago with no effect, none whatsoever. At that moment he understood that the continuation of his life was completely reliant on the close to nonexistent mercy of the figure he was looking in the eye.

Instead of attacking the two fighters in their own defense they merely laughed, a youthful laugh, one that showed how amused they were at the situation before them. In their mind it was a game, one they were beginning to find repetitive and boring even at the start. To them, these two were a welcome spike in difficulty, bosses at the end of a level that they intended to savor and drag out as long as possible. And to their delight it seemed they were not to split only two fighters amongst themselves, but rather four.

Yamcha: Glad we got here when we did, though it looks like I got here a little late. Krillin how you holding up?  
Krillin: I'm fine, but is it just you and Piccolo? We could really use Tien and Vegeta right now.  
Yamcha: Yup, just us. Tien & Chiaoutzu aren't coming.  
Piccolo: Are you two going to talk, or are we going to fight!  
?: Is he talking to us, 18?  
18: Maybe, hope he's better than this one though, can't stand kids.  
?: The green one's mine, 18!  
18: You owe me! I let you take out Gero, you could at least let me have some fun.  
?: Last time I checked you killed Gero, I just kicked off his head!  
18: It's the same thing!  
?: No, it's not the same thing! Hell, he was still talking when you blew up his-  
And in justified and arguably rude fashion Yamcha punched the male of the duo , causing him to do little more than turn his head and even that was done in order to have a better view of his assailant rather than any pain or discomfort caused by the punch. Yamcha knew that his attack would do nothing but to provoke a counterattack, one that the man had no chance of defending against.  
Observing the display from the outside Piccolo realized nothing was going to come of Yamcha's actions but needless injuries or death. Upon this realization he jumped into the fight, and then something unexpected happened. The duo actually engaged the alien, as if no one else was a threat, this subtle insult towards the enemy did not fall dead on the minds of the humans and Gohan. As unsettled they all were at the situation a common silence fell upon them all, the three of them combined were of no help to Piccolo so they simply prayed and waited.  
Gohan averted his eyes for a second to observe his immediate surroundings to confirm that this was indeed happening; that all the peace he had come accustomed to was no longer a part of his reality, that all the people he cared about and wished to live were no longer in his ability to protect; that all expectations of the future were now an illusion. Four years ago he might have cried, this situation would have crushed him at that time, but now he just stared at the battle above him. Fists were flying, ki creating an incalculable amount of collateral damage to a barren and damned city, and he could swear that he heard the two teenagers either bickering over some triviality or laughing; as if all the destruction that lay before him was a mere joke. Gohan didn't know what could bring about such thinking; any thought that would bring about such complex processes escaped him at that moment. All the child could do was watch. All the child did was watch with a face clear of any presence and a blank slate for a mind.


End file.
